In Music Theory, Through which medium would sound waves have the greatest velocity?

Question

(1) Gas eg; Air
(2) Solids eg; Steel
(3) Liquids eg; Water
(4) Outer Space

Answer 1

it's #2 solids. I'm sure.

Answer 2

This is a scientific depending on parameters. BUT having some experience:

a. Solid (touch)
b. Liquids (density factor)
c. Air - a gas - (not a good medium except over VERY short distance)
d. Outer Space . . . .don't know . . never pllayed my drum there!

Answer 3

None of you are correct. It is in a painfully well known fact from Physics that sound waves travel from molecule to molecule.

Thus there is no sound in outter space nor a vacuum. Gas is a very poor conductor if you are interested in the velocity of the sound waves.

The correct answer is 2. Solids such as steel since sound waves travel from particle to particle, they travel fastest where particles are packed.

Answer 4

I was going to say 2 but I wanted to back it up. The fault of space, is that a wave needs to vibrate in order to travel, in space there is nothing to travel in, therefore it wont travel....

The speed at which sound travels depends on the medium through which the waves are passing, and is often quoted as a fundamental property of the material. In general, the speed of sound is proportional to the square root of the ratio of the stiffness of the medium and its density. Those physical properties and the speed of sound change with ambient conditions. For example, the speed of sound in air and other gases depends on temperature. In air, the speed of sound is approximately 344 m/s, in water 1500 m/s and in a bar of steel 5000 m/s. The speed of sound is also slightly sensitive (to second order) to the sound amplitude, resulting in nonlinear propagation effects, such as the weak production of harmonics and the mixing of tones (see parametric array).

Answer 5

The denser the medium, the slower the wave propagation. In space (a vaccuum) there is no medium, so the speed is zero. The answer is gas, because gas is lighter than water.

Answer 6

Number 4 -- its Space. NO sound!

Number 2 -- a solid item will find it hard to vibrate and carry sound UNLESS THE GENERATED SOUND IS TOUCHING THE SOLID MATTER!

Number 1 -- It has been known for an explosion to be heard 3000 Kilometres from its source. (Krakatoa Eruption 1883)

Number 3 -- Water as in the oceans, are known to carry sound from one side to the other. Whales can communicate over IMMENSE distances with minimal effort.

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In Space there is nothing for the sound to vibrate to carry the waveform anywhere. The result, No Sound ( In Space no-one can hear you sing!)

When we look at the properties of a gas, we see that only when molecules collide with each other can the condensations and rarefactions of a sound wave move about.
So, it makes sense that the speed of sound has the same order of magnitude as the average molecular speed between collisions. In a gas, it is particularly important to know the temperature.
This is because at lower temperatures, molecules collide more often, giving the sound wave more chances to move around rapidly. At freezing (0º Celcius), sound travels through air at 331 meters per second (about 740 mph). But, at 20ºC, room temperature, sound travels at 343 meters per second (767 mph).

Sound travels faster in liquids than in gases because molecules are more tightly packed. In fresh water, sound waves travel at 1,482 meters per second (about 3,315 mph).
That's well over 4 times faster than in air!
Several ocean-dwelling animals rely upon sound waves to communicate with other animals and to locate food and obstacles. The reason that they are able to effectively use this method of communication over long distances is that sound travels so much faster in water.


Sound travels fastest through solids. This is because molecules in a solid medium are much closer together than those in a liquid or gas, allowing sound waves to travel more quickly through it. In fact, sound waves travel over 17 times faster through steel than through air.
The EXACT speed of sound in steel is 5,960 meters per second (13,332 mph)! But, this is only for the majority of solids. The speed of sound in all solids are not faster than in all liquids.



Enough information? I hope it isn't too technical for you.
I think I've explained it reasonably well.



:~}

Answer 7

This will depend on the frequency of the sound wave you choose to use.

Answer 8

3 liquids.

Answer 9

come on, think about this

the answer is (4) outer space, there is nothing to impede the waves whereas in the other situations there are things to slow the wave down

Answer 10

Space, no air restitance...wait screw that...alsolutey no resistance at all